


I'll Be Home for Christmas

by HotaruGFC (JaclynGFC)



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaclynGFC/pseuds/HotaruGFC
Summary: Charlotte gets an invitation to a wedding, and she can't go alone.
Relationships: Charlotte Roselei/Yami Sukehiro
Comments: 89
Kudos: 197





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write a Christmas story. Still working through my list of in-progress works, but this just came to me. Hoping to have it finished before Christmas is over.

The invitation came in a fancy envelop with a wax seal which made Charlotte's blood run cold. She cracked open the seal with trepidation and pulled out the thick vellum. A paper note came with it. Her cousin was getting married. Charlotte smiled at the invitation, wishing her cousin the best and planning to send a gift to avoid the event entirely. She had expected the envelope to contain a summons to her parents' annual Christmas party where they had in the past paraded her around as a prize to be won by the eligible young suitors they invited to attend. She had made every excuse to not attend over the last several years to avoid the situation.

And then she read the note.

> My Dearest Charlotte,  
>  How many years has it been since we were children playing together? Remember how I used to follow you around like the lost little puppy your father never let you have? As my marriage approaches, I find myself longing for those carefree days of our childhood and your companionship. I understand you are busy with your duties as a Magic Knight, but I would be most honored if you would stand with me at the wedding. While I do care for my husband-to-be, such a change in my life is daunting. I could use your strength to help me through it. Please consider being my maid of honor, or at least a bridesmaid if the responsibility of such a role would conflict too greatly with your duties. At the very least, I hope to see you at the wedding. I can't wait to catch up!  
>  Much Love,  
>  Elizabeth

Charlotte held the note and sighed. Her cousin, Elizabeth was two years her junior and had been her best friend as a child, one might say, her only friend after Charlotte had been cursed. As Charlotte grew, however, and became obsessed with fighting her curse, she and Elizabeth had drifted apart. She never imagined her cousin would remember the time so fondly, or that she would consider Charlotte as a necessity for her impending nuptials. Not now that they were living very different lives. What did not surprise Charlotte, however, was the fact that Elizabeth was getting married; Charlotte had noticed her tendency to chase after boys even when they were young. She thought it a ridiculous obsession, though she now realized her obsession with her curse could be seen as ridiculous by one such as Elizabeth.

Still, Charlotte wanted to be able to support her cousin, even if it meant standing beside her in a ceremony she wasn't sure she believed in. After all, most men were not worth her time, and she could not imagine herself locked into a contract with one who was beneath her. 

She smiled, thinking of her cousin, though, dressed in white with a grin that could light the sun aflame as she went to meet her husband. Elizabeth had never been the one to shy away from relationships and the idea of marriage had always excited her, even if Charlotte could not understand it. 

Her smile faded, however, as Charlotte realized her parents were also likely to be in attendance. She loved her parents, truly she did, but in the years since she last lived at home, she had grown weary of her father's constant push for her to marry, to settle down. And a wedding, she assumed, would be no different in this regard than their holiday parties. Perhaps it would be even worse, as everyone will already have romance and commitment on their minds. And everyone expected a single woman would want to find a husband. Why would they think she was any different? Especially at her age.

Charlotte sighed once more and tucked the invitation away. She would have to find some solution. Not attending would be a terrible affront to her cousin, but being subjected to her parents' constant badgering about making an appropriate match was an affront to everything she stood for. 

A chime from the magic communications device sounded from the bag at her hip. Charlotte hurried to answer the call.

"Yes?" She asked with command in her voice. Surely someone would only contact her through it if the message were important. 

"Oh, Charlotte, my dear!" A cloying voice sounded through the device. Charlotte could feel her lips press into a thin line and her neck and shoulders stiffen.

"Hello, Mother."

"Have you heard? Your cousin, Elizabeth is getting married in a couple of weeks! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yes, Mother. I received an invitation today." Charlotte did not want to tip her mother off to the contents of the note, not yet. 

"Oh fabulous news! And of course, since the wedding is the day after Christmas, we will not be hosting our annual party. Wouldn't want to overshadow the bride, you know."

"Of course not." Charlotte sighed, listening to her mother drone on about preparations and planning as she walked down the hall to her office. She had hoped to maneuver through the complex without facing others' curiosity at her annoyance. She had no such luck and instead nodded sharply at every one of her subordinates as she passed them. As she reached her office, she hurriedly pulled the door shut behind her, just as her mother broached the topic she had been dreading.

"You are coming, of course. And there will be many eligible young men there, Charlotte."

"Mother..." She started to argue, but her mother only droned on.

"It is a shame though, that we haven't celebrated your own wedding yet, my dear. I was certain, with your looks, you would have captured someone's heart by now. But no bother, a wedding is just the place to..."

"I'm bringing someone." Charlotte said suddenly, cutting her mother off mid-thought. A moment of silence stretched on and Charlotte realized the impossible statement she had uttered. She had doomed herself now.

"Oh." Her mother's voice echoed through her mind. "Oh! Well, that is news indeed. He will be celebrating the entire holiday with us, of course?"

"Um... sure. Yeah. He'll be there with me." Stop digging your grave! Charlotte wanted to scream at herself. "Now, Mother, I really must go. I have a ton of work to do, especially now."

"Oh, alright. But please, do write or visit more, Charlotte. Your father misses you terribly."

Charlotte sighed.

"I will."

"There's a good girl. I love you, my dear."

"I love you too, Mother."

The device died in her hand, severing the link between them. Charlotte collapsed into a plush chair and groaned as she pulled the helmet from her head and the pins from her tight bun. Her golden locks fell around her face as she sighed. She had really screwed herself now...

A shimmer of magic ignited the air next to her and Marx's voice sounded out of the portal which appeared. 

"Captain Charlotte. The Wizard King has called an emergency meeting for tomorrow morning, three hours before noon. Please be prompt." 

"I will be there, Marx. Thank you." She knew better than to ask what the meeting may be about. Whatever it was, Marx was often not at liberty to say directly. Besides, knowing Julius, an emergency meeting could be called for something as serious as a threat to the kingdom – the proper reason to call such a meeting – or as frivolous as a dinner to force socialization and interaction between the captains. It had happened before, and she would not put it past Julius for it to happen again.

But a captain's meeting – emergency or not – gave her an idea.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte tries to set her plan in motion

Charlotte watched as Fuegoleon and Nozel sat across from her barely acknowledging each other's presence. She knew they were acutely aware of the other, but they pretended that the other did not exist. Watching their posturing, Charlotte determined Nozel especially would be a bad candidate for her plan. But perhaps Fuegoleon would take her plight to heart. They were still waiting for Julius to show up and start the meeting, so she might as well ask now. 

"Fuegoleon, I have a question... a favor really." Charlotte could feel her shoulders tighten.

"Oh?" His stoic face showed a mild sense of surprise.

"This is really embarrassing," she muttered, but she convinced herself to keep going. "You can refuse if you wish." 

"How can I refuse if I don't know what the favor is?"

"Right. Okay. My cousin is getting married and I don't want to have to deal with my parents trying to set me up with every possible suitor at the wedding, so would you go with me?"

Nozel snorted and his face broke its normal cold form. Fuegoleon's eyebrows shot up in shock.

"I, um... Nothing against you Charlotte, but I would... hate to overshadow your cousin's big day."

"What?" Charlotte said with confusion.

"I mean, if a royal were to show up uninvited... by the bride or groom, I mean, it would cause quite a stir, don't you think?"

Charlotte sighed. He did have a point, she had to admit.

"I guess I never thought of that."

"Why don't you just tell your parents to stay out of your personal life? You're a Magic Knight Captain. They shouldn't have any say in your decisions, especially as fallen nobles." Nozel joined in despite the appearance that his attention was elsewhere.

Charlotte bristled at Nozel's statement. Exactly why I didn't ask him, she thought.

"When is the wedding anyway?" Dorothy asked having woken up from her dozing.

"The day after Christmas."

"Ooh. A Christmas wedding. How delightful!"

"Ah, even if I felt it was a good idea, I am indisposed with family obligations myself during the holidays," Fuegoleon added, seemingly with a relieved sigh.

So he didn't want to help, but at least he was nicer about it than Nozel, she thought as she laid her head on the tabletop in misery.

"Why don't you ask one of your squadmates to accompany you?" Dorothy suggested.

"No good. They wouldn't go for it. My mother would probably start looking for a nice young man for any of them also. Besides, I cant show that sort of favoritism."  
The door opened and Charlotte looked over, wondering if it might lead to anyone else who could help her with her problem. 

"Your parents sound so old-fashioned, Charlotte. " Dorothy said as Kaiser walked into the room.

"You don't know the half of it." 

No good, Kaiser couldn't help. She didn't think his wife would appreciate her asking either. 

"Why don't you ask one of the others?"

"Who? Jack?" 

"Well, sure. I mean, him or Yami."

Yami... Charlotte's breathing quickened and she felt her temperature rise. She could barely control herself in the same room with Yami. She definitely did not want her mother to get the wrong idea about their relationship. 

But you had no problem leading her on with someone like Fuegoleon? She chastised herself. 

The door opened once more and Jack walked in with his usual cackle as he took the seat across from her. Only two seats remained, and they were both on her side of the table. 

"Go on, Charlotte." Dorothy prodded with a smile. 

Charlotte swallowed and looked at Jack. 

"Jack. I have a problem and I need some help."

"Who do I need to cut up?"

"It's not that kind of problem." 

Jack looked at her skeptically.

"All problems can be solved with a little cutting." 

"I sort of told my mother I was bringing someone to my cousin's wedding so she wouldn't try to set me up with every worthless man there."

"So you want me to cut your mother." 

"No. Ugh. I need a date for the wedding." 

Jack cackled loudly and glanced at the door.

"Believe me, Jack, you were not my first choice."

"First choice for what?" Yami's rich deep voice sounded next to her as he took one of the open seats. Charlotte swallowed hard and turned a little red. Her eyes grew wide.

"Get this, Meathead. Charlotte just asked me to accompany her to her cousin's wedding." His tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh. Well, of course, you weren't her first choice. Who would want to bring you to a wedding?" Yami countered only to be met with Jack's cackling laughter. 

"It's not just a wedding," Charlotte added hurriedly. She wanted to bury her head with every word that came from her mouth.

"Apparently it's a big Christmas wedding, with parties and all of that," Dorothy added. "Should be several days of celebration."

"You're awake?" Yami asked surprised.

Dorothy gave him a quick little smile. Charlotte covered her face with her hands and wanted to forget the entire affair. She would just go by herself and put up with her parents' opinions on the matter of her marital status.

"Several days, huh? Celebrations... Free food, right?" Yami mused before coming to a realization.

"There will be food, yes." Charlotte sat up and looked at Yami with raised eyebrows.

"And what would a celebration be without drinks. Right?"

"Well, most in my family don't suffer from my... affliction with alcohol, so likely, yes."

Yami looked at Charlotte a moment before taking a long drag on his cigarette, much to the chagrin of those in the room. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before taking   
another puff.

"I'll go with you, Prickly Queen."

Charlotte's mouth dropped open.

"What? I mean, I'd just have to go there and look pretty, right?"

Charlotte took in a sharp breath. Did Yami just... Did he just suggest he would go with her? That he would pretend to be her boyfriend for the wedding?

"No." She said after a moment of stuttering in her thoughts. "Absolutely not. You... You... would you even know how to act at a wedding? Have you ever been to one?"

Charlotte was completely red in the face and flustered as the door opened and Julius walked in with Rill trailing behind him.

"Alright, sorry I'm late, but let's get started, shall we?"

Charlotte could hardly pay attention to the meeting. Her mind spun circles as she tried to work out what she should do. Having Yami come with her was a terrible idea on so many different levels. First, her parents would absolutely despise him. While that may seem like a good thing in some regard – part of Charlotte would love to see how they reacted and how they squirmed in response to his crassness--she did not think he would serve to take the pressure off of her. Her parents would never see him as good enough and would still try to set her up with others. He would be rude and boorish and... every terrible thing she could think of and likely more. And what is worse, she would never be able to live down any affront he might cause among her family and the wedding guests. It could ruin her reputation in so many ways.

And yet... She may never have the opportunity again to be as close to him as she would be during the event. She might never have a chance to get over the fears holding her back from admitting her feelings for him. She may never learn to not run whenever she had to face him on a personal level.

All in all, she knew bringing him would be a bad idea, even if it was the only option. And even if it was all she really wanted.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad, she told herself. Maybe he would be a perfect gentleman. 

She imagined them sitting cozy and snuggled next to a fire as presents were exchanged and hot chocolate was served. She could almost smell the fire roaring in the fireplace and hear the laughter and music. She might never get a chance like this again, she told herself as a small smile spread across her face and her mind succumbed to her fantasy.

Yeah, right. I would never be so lucky, she thought. He wasn't the kind to fit into that world. Nor did she think he would appeal to her so much if he were. And so she floundered and flip-flopped, going from a yes to a no and back with every breath.

Before she realized it, the meeting was over and Charlotte had to make a decision. She stayed seated as the room emptied. Even Yami stood to leave, but he lingered by the door after exchanging a few words with Julius.

"So, um, you really don't want me to come? Even after you asked Jack of all people?" He sounded confused, possibly even a little hurt. Or she could be projecting what she wanted him to feel. "I mean, I knew you hated me, but damn."

Charlotte sighed.

"You wouldn't just be going as my guest. You would be going as my... fake boyfriend." 

Yami's eyes bored through her for a beat. Charlotte felt she would shrivel from the weight of his stare.

"Oh." He sighed and knit his brows together as he crossed the room once more to take the seat across from her. "Why?"

Why, indeed, Charlotte mused bitterly. Better to just come out and say it.

"Because my parents don't know how to keep their opinions to themselves when it comes to my love life. Because they will spend the entire time I am there trying to get me matched with some worthless specimen of manhood just because they think I should be married with kids instead of leading a group of Magic Knights. Just like they do every time I go home. Because they don't listen to me and aren't concerned about my happiness as much as they are with continuing the family line."

The admission felt good. Charlotte felt freer and lighter than she had in a long time. She also felt drained, as if her body was fatigued from holding on to a tension she had never noticed and that tension had just been released.

Yami nodded and lit another cigarette. Charlotte took a long deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I mean. If you really want to come, I don't have many other options."

"You could tell them to stop," Yami suggested.

"I have. Do you think I would come up with this harebrained plan without even trying a simpler solution? They just don't listen."

"No. I guess you wouldn't."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Are you coming or not?" Charlotte asked, feeling a slight twinge of annoyance. Had he forgotten the purpose of her asking in the first place? She knew he was dense, but she hadn't thought he was that forgetful.

"To the wedding to be your fake boyfriend?"

"And to the other parties – rehearsal dinner, Christmas celebration, and all that too."

Yami nodded and breathed in deeply on his cigarette.

"Yeah. Sure. Why not?" He gave her a lopsided grin as the burning cigarette dangled slightly from his lips.

"Okay." Charlotte breathed. "Just... please promise me that you will not purposefully embarrass me in front of my family?"

"I'll do my best, Prickly Queen."

"And can you stop with the nickname?"

"No."

"Please?"

"What couple doesn't have cute pet names for each other?"

"We are not a couple."

"Fine then. Fake couple."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. Her initial feeling about this entire plan being a disaster seemed to be right on the money.

"A few ground rules." 

Yami groaned.

"No public displays of affection. No crazy stories about how we met or what we do. In fact, no stories about our fake personal lives at all. And definitely no pet names." Charlotte said firmly. She was already feeling on edge about the situation. The last thing she needed was an unruly fake boyfriend – or worse, for her to freak out and run from him like she had done so many times in front of her family.

Yami scowled, which was the most expression Charlotte had ever seen on his face.

"They aren't going to think we're much of a couple, you know."

"I'm standing by those rules." They are as much to protect me from you as you are to protect me from them, Charlotte thought. 

"Fine. When do we go?"

"The invitation said the wedding is on the day after Christmas. We should probably get there three days before."

"Alright. Meet here?"

Charlotte nodded. She could not think of a better or more central place to meet. Yami stood and rapped his knuckles against the top of the table before walking out the door.   
The smell of his cigarette lingered in the air as Charlotte took a deep breath hoping to find the peace within that she was likely to need between now and the wedding.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip and meeting the family goes about as well as one might expect.

Charlotte chewed on her thumb as she paced. She had expected him to be late. He always was, but today his tardiness irked her more than she had thought possible. She needed to be at her parents' home by tonight. They were expecting her – and him – for dinner.

"Please let him have some appropriate clothes to wear," she muttered to herself. Not for the first time did she account for all of the ways he might embarrass her. She had not entirely convinced herself that having him act as her "boyfriend" was a good idea. 

A flare of mana accompanied a silvery-white portal opened nearby – courtesy of the Black Bull's spatial mage and Yami stepped through. He carried a bag in one hand and wore a thick black cape over his shoulders rather than his squad robe. The cape made reminded her of the day he had broken her curse – or maybe attenuated would be a better description. Charlotte's heart skipped a beat as she glanced at him and her memory supplied her with a vision of a younger him dressed just the same. 

Nope, she thought. This was not a good idea at all.

"So, where are we going?" He hoisted his bag over his shoulder, revealing that he had not in fact changed his style of dress. Charlotte glanced away quickly as she caught herself staring at his arm – an arm she was desperate to have wrapped around her.

"You're late."

"Yeah, well. I had to do a little shopping and custom work takes time. And money... Say Charlotte, you weren't considering any sort of, I don't know, payment for this little masquerade, were you?"

"You're getting free food and drinks for the next few days. Isn't that enough?" The thought of paying him for his effort in this farce struck her deeply in a place she tried to hide, not just from him and everyone else, but from herself as well. 

Of course, he would expect a payment, she thought. I'm nothing to him, aren't I? And why would I be anything else? It's not like I have given him a reason to believe I would want him to think of me as more than a colleague.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. If I wanted money, I should have asked up front."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, her mask of annoyance masterfully hiding the sadness within. She conjured transportation with her magic, sweeping him up in the process. 

"We have dinner with my parents in a few hours. We should be going." She ignored his grunting as he settled into a seated position next to her. "You remember the rules."

"Yeah, and I still think they will get in the way of your intentions."

Charlotte sighed.

"I guess if you must, you can hold my hand on occasion," Charlotte suggested as she screamed internally. Only the need for her to focus on their destination kept her from   
completely hyperventilating and losing her cool as she made the suggestion.

Yami reached out and took one of her thin hands in both of his. 

Charlotte gasped and felt the spell around them fade ever so slightly at the touch. She forced herself to think about the magic she was weaving instead of his touch. She needed to think of anything except his touch. His touch was a distraction, a point he was only further proving with his actions. But if she could overcome the distraction, she would be all the better, right? She would be able to break this hold he had on her, wouldn't she?

And maybe he was right. Maybe little things like this would help her in the long run with her parent problem. 

They rode together in silence for a long time, though Charlotte was not certain she would have been able to hear him speak over the sound of the blood rushing in her ears and her constant mantra to stay calm and focus as he continued to hold her hand. She glanced at him momentarily only to see him staring out at the landscape. Or perhaps he was staring into space. His face was a blank slate and as difficult to read as ever. 

"It's getting colder." He took one of his hands from hers and pulled his cloak around over his chest. It fell over her hand as well. He was right. Charlotte wished she had worn gloves. At least her own heavy cloak was warm around her body, as was the hand he held. 

"Yeah. My cousin was hoping for snow for the wedding. I just hope she didn't do anything foolish."

"Like have someone magic up a snowstorm?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't put it past her. She once asked me to surround her dollhouse with my briars because she wanted to have her doll reenact the story of 'Sleeping Beauty'."

"Did you?" Yami chuckled.

"Well, yeah. It was awesome." Charlotte replied with a smile before her face fell. "That was before though."

She could feel Yami's eyes on her as she turned her attention back to their path. He did not bother to ask what she had meant or to elaborate in any way. Charlotte was certain he knew what she meant. After a moment he turned back to staring out at the scenery.

"We'll be there soon."

The house was imposing as they rode up to the entrance, but it did not seem to loom quite as large as Charlotte remembered from her youth. The ivy growth up the brick face was thicker and higher than she remembered, but the rest of the grounds were fastidiously kept. She stopped the transport and unwound the magic which had conjured it gently, setting both Yami and herself onto the ground as the vehicle dissipated. 

"Nice digs," Yami said with a low whistle before the door cracked open.

"Charlotte!" A younger woman in long green skirts bounded down the stone steps which lead to the door, her fair hair streaming loosely behind her. "I'm so thrilled you are here!" 

Charlotte stumbled a bit under the weight of the woman's embrace. 

"Hello, Elizabeth. It's good to see you." 

"No need to be so formal, Lottie. Lizzie is fine." Elizabeth laughed and poked at Charlotte's arm as she stiffened. Elizabeth did not seem to notice, however. Her gaze had been drawn by the man standing beside Charlotte.

"Oh. Hello. I'm assuming you are Lottie's guest?"

"Please don't call me that, Elizabeth. I haven't gone by that in years." Charlotte moaned. Elizabeth seemed to ignore her.

"You could say that." Yami's voice was as non-committal as ever. Charlotte turned toward him only to be met with the same passive face as always – the face she had so much trouble reading.

"I'm her cousin and the bride, Elizabeth." She held her hand out to Yami, positioned as if she expected him to kiss it.

"Yami Sukehiro." He shook her hand before crossing his arms over his chest. Elizabeth brushed her hand against her skirt, pretending to smooth out a wrinkle.

"Well," Elizabeth said with a forced smile. "When Charlotte said she was bringing a guest, we were all ecstatic, but I never imagined that you would be so... tall." 

Charlotte could not miss the displeasure in her cousin's voice, nor did she miss the sudden uptick in Yami's eyebrows.

"Lizzie. We've really had a long journey and would like to clean up before dinner." Charlotte tried to capture her cousin's attention. 

The shorter, younger woman gave Yami another tight-lipped smile that did not reach her eyes before she turned back to Charlotte.

"Of course! Where are my manners?" She turned and motioned for them to follow her up the steps to the manor. "Your parents will be so... happy to see you, Charlotte." 

The moment they crossed the threshold Charlotte was assaulted with sights, sounds, and smells she had long buried in her past. Servants bustled back and forth in preparation for dinner and the upcoming events. The hall was a riot of color and light as people hung streamers and banners for the noble families who would be attending the wedding as well as strung greenery and lit candles for the holiday. The smell of juniper and pine washed over her.

She stood just inside the doorway, eyes closed as she inhaled slowly and released a long breath.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I just... I never get over this."

"Charlotte." The voice boomed through the hall, and all of the hustle stopped for a moment. Yami leaned toward her.

"Your father?" he whispered. 

Charlotte looked up at the thin aging man who loomed over the open space from the top of a grand flight of stairs. His once golden hair had grown silver over the years, but even at the distance, he could still pierce her with his cool blue eyes. 

"I'm home, Father." She tried to keep the calm and steady voice she had cultivated over the years, but being in his presence made her feel as if she were ten years old once more – tiny and weak. She squared her shoulders and straightened her back as he descended the stairs. She would conquer this feeling of weakness even if she had not managed to conquer the curse which afflicted her. She would have him see her as the grown woman she had become and not the child she had been when she left his home. She stayed by the entrance and stood her ground, making him cross the foyer to her. The cold piercing blue of his eyes she remembered had been replaced by warmth and a smile. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her over.

"I see that, Daughter." He pulled her into a brief hug before looking at her again. "More and more you look like your mother and grandmother." 

Charlotte blushed.

"When I heard you were bringing a guest as well, I must admit to being thrilled with the thought you might be ready to settle down and start a family." 

Charlotte gave him a small tight-lipped smile.

"Now where is this beau of yours? I would very much like to meet the chap who managed to steal my little girl's heart." Her father looked around, his gaze passing over Yami several times as if he were not even there.

He has no idea how right he is, Charlotte thought to herself as a flash of anger at her inability to admit such a tiny fact to the object of her affection.

"Um, Father, I would like you to meet Yami Sukehiro." She placed her hand on his arm. Now or never. Her hands shook and Yami placed his hand over hers to steady them. "My boyfriend." Charlotte swallowed hard as the words came out of her mouth. They were words she never thought she would say, and yet dreamed of being able to utter. He didn't realize that, however. And she had long ago vowed to herself to never let him realize how she truly felt. And the look on her father's face was reason enough for her to double down on her pledge.

Any semblance of joy that her father had shown faded quickly as he finally saw the man standing next to his daughter. Charlotte could tell he was displeased, perhaps even angry. She could feel stiffness in Yami too as his hand twitched slightly against hers and his arm bulged as he squeezed his other hand into a fist. He had also sensed her father's displeasure.

"Oh, well, a pleasure I'm sure." The patriarch of the house forced a diplomatic smile. 

Yami's grip on Charlotte's hand tightened.

"Indeed. It is an honor to finally meet you, sir. In all these months, Charlotte hadn't talked much about you, but the family resemblance is difficult to miss." Yami held his gaze for a long moment before looking at Charlotte. As their eyes met, they both released a long-held breath.

"Marcus?" A woman's voice called from across the room. "Marcus! There you are. I've been looking all over for you." 

A middle-aged woman crossed the foyer with her hands on her hip and marched right up to Charlotte's father. 

"Just what exactly have you been doing when we've got preparations to make? This party won't exactly host itself." The woman stopped and tucked a strand of gray streaked light brown hair behind her ear. 

Charlotte's father did not answer, but placed his hands on the woman's shoulders and turned her around to face Charlotte.

"Oh, my baby girl!" The woman gasped and embraced Charlotte tightly. Charlotte relaxed into her embrace as she withdrew her attention and hand from Yami to revel in her mother's love. "You made it safe, I trust?" She placed her hands on either side of Charlotte's face.

"Yes, Mama. We made it just fine." 

"Good, good. Now it's time to wash up for dinner." The older woman started shooing Charlotte toward the stairs before she stopped. "Wait. We? Oh yes, that's right. I have been so busy I must have forgotten. But," The older woman's smile grew large and brilliant. "You did say you were bringing someone home with you this year."

Marcus coughed for her attention and gestured to Yami. 

"Amelia, this is Yami Sukehiro, Charlotte's... guest."

"Oh! Oh my! Please forgive my manners. Welcome to our home. It is indeed a pleasure to have you accompany Charlotte." Amelia gushed. If meeting Yami had any adverse effect on her mother as it had on her cousin and father, Charlotte could not tell.

Marcus cleared his throat again, his scowl evident for all to see.

"Unfortunately, with all the preparations, the fact that Charlotte was bringing a guest completely slipped my mind. I'm sure you wouldn't mind sharing a room with her, would you?"

"WHAT?" Marcus bellowed.

"MOTHER!" Charlotte shrieked. 

"I mean since you are together and all, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure a man and a woman of your age have had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the more... intimate parts of a relationship." Amelia winked at Charlotte.

Charlotte groaned and Yami chuckled as her face turned scarlet. 

"I'm sure we will be fine," Yami said with a wry grin, as he wrapped his arm around Charlotte's waist. "As you said, it's nothing that we haven't done before."

Marcus glared at him also red-faced, but with anger rather than embarrassment. 

"And now, we really must be getting cleaned up. The trip was long and exhausting. Isn't that right, my Prickly Queen?" 

Charlotte's eyes were wide and her lips pressed into a thin angry line as she fought to control the torrent of emotions swirling in her. 

"Yes." She said tautly before she let out a slow breath. "Yes. We should." She slipped from Yami's grip and pushed past her parents. Yami caught her hand and followed in her wake. Charlotte's blood boiled in her ears like a roaring sea as she led Yami up the staircase to the second floor. From the main floor below, she heard her parents arguing.


	4. Chapter 4

Charlotte led Yami into her bedroom and slammed the door behind them as he gave a low appreciative whistle.

"This place is swanky." He said as he looked around.

"Just what exactly did you think you were doing back there?" Charlotte wanted to yell, but she whispered harshly instead.

"What do you mean? I did what you asked me here to do." Yami's normally passive face was covered with a rare expression of confusion.

"By telling them we were sleeping together?!" Charlotte's hands were balled into fists as she stood before him. She wanted to punch him, but she knew he would just dodge her blow. She squeezed her hands so tightly she feared she would cut herself with her short fingernails. 

"Your mother seemed keen on the idea."

"My mother wants grandchildren. I think she would be keen on the idea of me sleeping with a dog if it meant she would get a baby to spoil." 

Yami's eyebrows shot upward.

"I'm sure your grand-puppies would be just adorable." He teased.

"Shut up." She stalked past him and landed heavily on the bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "You broke the rules."

"They were stupid rules anyway."

"Doesn't matter. You still crossed the line. And now my father thinks I'm some sort of... whore."

"He doesn't think that."

"Of course he does. Didn't you see the way he was glaring?"

"At me. Not at you." Yami pointed out. The playfulness which had barely edged his voice disappeared. "Him and your cousin both... I don't think they like me very much."  
Charlotte scoffed.

"That's an understatement. I can't believe they were so obvious about it." She flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "I knew this wasn't a good idea. I should have never come home."

"All the better to ruffle their feathers though, don't you think? I mean, the whole reason I'm here is to get them to leave you alone, right?"

Charlotte propped herself up on her elbows. 

"No... I mean, yes. Yes, you're right. Maybe I can work with this." Charlotte tried to work out a plan to convince everyone she was in a committed relationship. Unfortunately, sharing a room seemed one of the easiest ways to support their false claim. And maybe, she thought, if they shared a room, the claim might not be so false by the end of the trip. Charlotte sighed and shook her head. 

"I need a bath before dinner."

"Any chance you can give me a tour of the place first?" Yami stood in the center of the room, turning circles as he looked around. "I hate to admit it, but I'm a little lost here."

"I guess living on the streets didn't exactly prepare you for a place like this."

"I've seen fancier." Yami countered. "Usually as I was robbing them though."

Charlotte watched him with wide, surprised eyes. 

"Don't look so shocked. I bet your cousin wouldn't even have been phased by that."

"It makes sense though. I guess I never pegged you as a thief."

"You do what you need to do to survive."

She watched as he walked around the room, wondering if he was casing the place for weaknesses or things that might be a good target. Scoffing, she silently berated herself for the thought. Yami might have a gambling problem and build debt like he's fortifying a building, but he never struck her as greedy. 

"We do have a problem, though." He said as he made his way to the other side of the room. Charlotte turned on the bed to see him standing before a tall window. The light streaming through behind him was blinding and surrounded him like a halo as it cast his face in shadow.

"What's that?" Charlotte squinted in the light.

"You're sitting on it."

Charlotte looked down at the bed upon which she sat.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Charlotte sighed. 

"I'll be fine on the floor. Won't be the first time." Yami shrugged. "Just make sure I've got a cozy blanket."

"No. I asked you here to help me – a task which might prove more daunting than I imagined, given my father's reaction. The least I can do is let you have the bed. Consider it payment. I can sleep on the chaise over there."

Charlotte stood up and walked over to a piece of furniture that had been covered by a white cloth. Pulling the cloth back revealed an ornate chair, almost a sofa, in rich red velvet and dark, nearly black wood. Charlotte balled up the cloth and sat down on the edge. 

"See? This will be fine." She rubbed the upholstery and once more felt Yami's stare on her.

"If you say so. Now, you were going to show me around and then get ready for dinner, right?"

"Right." Charlotte stood and walked past him to a large carved wardrobe made from the same dark wood as the chaise. Pulling open the doors, she scanned through the clothes hanging within. 

"Ugh. I guess Mother moved some of her old things in here." The wardrobe was packed with gowns of various, older styles in rich reds and greens which reminded Charlotte of a collection of rubies and emeralds. After digging through the fancier dresses, Charlotte pulled out a simple skirt and bodice in a rich blue. 

"You know, maybe you should try one of the other colors," Yami suggested as he pulled items from his bag and laid them out on the bed.

"What?" She asked, turning to him. 

"It's just that you always seem to wear blue. A little change might be nice once in a while." Yami unfastened his cloak and placed it on the bed next to a more formal shirt – at least a more formal shirt for him, but which was a rather ordinary, common shirt otherwise.

Charlotte watched him a long moment with a scowl on her face. 

"I like blue." She explained, slightly offended he would suggest anything other than her signature color. "Maybe you should try wearing clothes that, I don't know, are actually designed as something other than undergarments."

She turned back to the wardrobe with a huff and searched through the garments once more.

"I never said you should stop, just change it up a bit. But if you don't want to, that's your prerogative."

"You're right. It is." She sighed as she looked at the rest of the gowns. "Besides, my mother is so much shorter than me that none of these would fit." She closed the door and crossed the room to the bed where she spread the simple outfit next to Yami's clothes. She glanced at the fine fabric and neat tailoring of the dress shirt he had pulled out and then quickly up at him. She blushed in shame at letting her anger get the better of her and looked away quickly. She hoped he hadn't noticed. So many things he did seem to notice always made her wonder about why he never noticed her, or why, if he did notice, he had never figured out how she felt for him.

"Come on. Let me show you the bathroom at least. A more extensive tour can wait until after dinner." 

She walked quickly across the room to the door, expecting he would follow.

***

After the brief tour of the hallway and pointing out the baths and the toilet, Charlotte excused herself to one of the baths. The water flowed hot into the deep tub and she sank gratefully into its depths. It might not have been as stimulating as the hot spring Mereoleona had forced them to that one time, or even as healing as the mineral springs from which the water for the baths in her squad house was drawn, but the heat eased her muscles and soothed her mind.

Charlotte sighed, letting her mind clear for a moment of pure, calm peace. 

And then the voices of worry crept back in, as always, never allowing her more than a moment of quiet.

Her parents had been arguing. She had always seen them arguing since she learned of the curse upon her. She rarely knew the reason for their spats; she had not really cared as a child, instead choosing to focus on breaking the curse which held her. She always assumed the fights were about her.

Now, at least, she was certain. The argument they had as she led Yami away had absolutely been about her, or more precisely, her choice in him. Not that she had much of a choice in the matter. He was the only one available at the time who had taken her up on the offer. 

But she wasn't trying to please them in any way. Not at all. She only wanted them off of her back for a while. Was it too much to ask to be able to enjoy her cousin's wedding without having to suffer through her parents' attempts to marry her off?

Charlotte took a deep breath and held it and plunged her head under the warm water. Her hair would be wet for dinner and her mother would scoff and tut-tut about it, but she didn't care. She kept herself submerged as long as she could, gasping as she broke the surface. The cold air stung as she breathed in. 

Yami might have been the only one willing to play along, but Charlotte knew she hadn't really wanted anyone else to accompany her anyway. In a sense, Yami was perfect. Her father already hated him, though she couldn't tell if he hated Yami's reputation as a Magic Knight or his unknown foreign origins more. Elizabeth too had seemed put off by Yami's presence and the insinuation he and Charlotte were a couple. 

Only her mother had seemed to welcome him, though Charlotte suspected her openness had more to do with the possibility of continuing the family line. Her mother had seemed rather insistent that they share a room, though Charlotte was fairly sure she could have made arrangements otherwise, even with the much larger number of guests staying for the wedding.

Charlotte sighed as she stepped out of the tub. The cold air felt refreshing after the warmth of the water, but it quickly grew into a biting, bone-chilling cold. She hurriedly wrapped a towel around her body to warm up. She glanced around, realizing she had forgotten a robe. Tucking the end of the towel into itself, Charlotte peeked out the bathroom door. She poked her head out into the hallway and looked one way, and then the other before darting out of the bathroom to her bedroom across the hall and down a couple of doors. 

She released a long-held breath as she pulled her bedroom door closed behind her. She closed her eyes and pressed her head against the door, clutching the towel around her as it threatened to fall from her sneaking. No one had seen her, she was certain. 

"Forget something?" Yami's rich voice sounded from across the room.

Charlotte froze, swallowing hard, and breathing harder. Her entire body grew warm as she flushed with embarrassment. Of all people... 

"Stupid," she muttered to herself for having forgotten he was even with her for a moment. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte straightened and refastened the towel around her; she prayed it would cover enough as she turned and walked across the room. He watched her every movement. She felt dirty again as his eyes roamed over her scantily covered body.

"Get out." She ordered as she reached the bed he had stretched out on. "I need to get dressed." She gripped the towel tight enough to turn her knuckles white. 

He lingered on the bed a moment as his eyes scanned her once more. His tongue darted out between his lips, wetting them before he stood up. 

"I expect you to find me if I get lost." He called to her as he walked toward the door. Once she heard the soft thud of the door closing, Charlotte collapsed on the bed gasping and struggling with her emotions. She had never been so close to him with so little separating them. She would never admit it to him or anyone, but as he looked at her for that brief moment, she wished and wished he would touch her, or something would happen and her towel would fall. She would not drop it on purpose of course. She never would. But if he had accidentally seen her, well, accidents happen, right? And maybe the accident would evolve into something more?

"This is going to be impossible." She lay sprawled on the bed for a moment, having let the towel fall where it will before she stood to dress.

***

Charlotte – armored in the deep blue gown she had chosen earlier – roamed through the corridors searching for Yami.

"I should have given him a more thorough tour," she said to herself in the empty hallway as she approached the drawing-room. She heard her father's voice from within, as well as another man's voice with which she was unfamiliar. As she drew closer to the door, she heard Yami's rich baritone and the clinking of glass upon glass. The smell of smoke wafted into the hallway. Charlotte knocked on the door frame before stepping into the open door.

"And I'm telling you, the integration of the classes will absolutely destroy the economy," said a young man with whom she was unfamiliar. "Those who were born with less magic are only suited to work the fields and perform menial tasks. Even the craft guilds admit to only accepting people with not only talent but a modicum of mana."

Charlotte watched as Yami stared at the younger man, his hand enveloping the glass he held in a large fist. 

"So because they have less mana they are not worthy of basic dignity? They are cattle, right? Beasts of burden?" Yami countered. She could hear the anger in Yami's voice and was impressed with his restraint. Had an argument come up in a captain's meeting, she knew he would have likely broken something already. 

"Am I interrupting anything?" She asked, certain she was indeed interrupting Yami from punching through a wall.

"We were just having a friendly discussion." Her father smiled the same tight-lipped smile he had given Yami before. 

Charlotte looked from her father to Yami and back and decided that the discussion was most certainly not friendly. 

"I see. I did however promise Yami a quick tour of the manor before dinner." Charlotte held her hand out to him.

Yami swallowed the last bit of whiskey in his glass and set it on the table before taking her hand and wrapping it around his arm.

"I have no idea what she sees in him." The young man Charlotte had not yet been introduced to said as they crossed the threshold into the hallway.

Once they had turned the corner and Charlotte was confident they were out of earshot, she dropped his arm.

"Sorry about that." Though Charlotte wasn't sure if she was apologizing for her father's behavior or her own.

"Your family is a piece of work aren't they." Yami crossed his arms over his chest.

"The fact they try to set me up with everything with a penis isn't the only reason I try to avoid them. The political discussion is also a nightmare."

Yami took a step toward her and took her hand again.

"Yeah. I'm really glad you don't share their thoughts." He brought her fingers up to his lips. Charlotte blushed and felt panic rise within her.

And then she heard the steady tapping of footsteps around the corner. 

"Oh, there you two are." Charlotte's mother's voice sounded down the hall. Her tone was gravid with excitement and expectation. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" The older woman grinned as she caught them in a seemingly intimate moment. 

Yami pulled Charlotte close to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. 

"We were just trying to find a little quiet spot for a kiss before dinner."

"Well don't let me stop you." Amelia chuckled and patted Yami's arm.

Charlotte glared at him with dagger-like eyes and her breath came in shallow pants which she told herself were from anger. But the core of her being thrilled at the closeness of him and the intimacy of his touch.

"Ah, but perhaps you can sneak off later. Dinner is ready." Amelia added with genuine sadness before turning back down the hallway. "Come on." 

Yami gave Charlotte a smirking smile before releasing her with a shrug. He wrapped her hand around his arm once more as they turned and followed the older woman.

"If the entire thing doesn't kill me, I swear you are going home in pieces." Charlotte hissed softly enough for only Yami to hear.

Yami leaned toward her.

"You look beautiful."

Nothing he could have said, no other words he could have chosen, would have disarmed her more.

Charlotte gasped, blushed, and then fell silent as they walked to the dining hall. She could still feel the heat in her face as they entered the dining room and her mother directed them to a pair of seats next to each other on one side of the long table already packed with people. 

The dinner went by in a blur. Charlotte was certain she had conversations, yet she could remember none of them. Her mind kept replaying the moment in the hallway. She had been so ready to scream and yell at him, so ready to fight him for his flagrant disrespect for the boundaries she had set for this operation – for him and herself. And with three simple words, he had turned her world upside down. 

No, he was messing with her, as always. Trying to get a rise out of her, trying to get her to react. And in the end, trying to sabotage their entire game plan. 

Yami, for his part, she noted, took to the dinner surprisingly well. For all his boorish blustering, he seemed almost at ease in the circles of higher society. Almost like he fit in.

"So, Charlotte. You never gave me your answer." Elizabeth asked from across the table. The younger woman wore a broad expectant smile.

"My, my answer?" Charlotte could not recall ever being asked a question.

"You know, about being my maid of honor at the wedding?"

Charlotte's head spun once more. Elizabeth had indeed asked her in the letter. Charlotte had meant to respond and decline, but she had gotten so caught up in finding a date and preparing her squad for her departure that her response had been left unwritten.

"Oh, that." Charlotte smiled sympathetically, trying to figure out how to refuse the request now that she had been asked in person. 

"That sounds like a great honor, Your Thorny Majesty." 

Charlotte started and turned to Yami, who had suddenly grown interested in her conversation. 

"And what would you know about it?" Charlotte could barely keep the bitter anger from her voice. The sound cut through the din of the room and she felt the eyes of everyone upon her.

Yami looked at her for a long moment before placing his hand over hers. He brushed her cheek with his thumb. Without thought, Charlotte closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"I'm sorry. I know you hate that one." His voice was softer and more gentle than she had ever heard it. She could sense none of his typical bored sarcasm or teasing in it.

"Which one what?" Elizabeth asked, now curious.

"The nickname," Yami explained. "Actually, she doesn't really like any of them."

"That's because you always compare me to a royal, which I most certainly am not." Charlotte recovered her senses enough to huff out a reply.

Yami leaned toward her, his breath on her ear as if he were going to whisper something when a girl next to Elizabeth spoke.

"Well, maybe that's because you are royalty to him." The girl's face glowed with excitement over a fantasy Charlotte could see she had constructed from the few moments she had watched their farce. In response, Yami only gave Charlotte the same smirking shrug he had earlier. Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"But you really should consider it, Charlotte." He added before taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh, yes, please, Lottie! I would so love to have you stand beside me at my wedding." Elizabeth reached across the table and took Charlotte's other hand – not the one Yami was still holding. 

Charlotte sighed as she looked at her cousin's hopeful face. She could see no way to refuse.

"Alright. I will be your maid of honor."

"Fantastic! Now tomorrow we need to get you fitted for your dress and..." Elizabeth began to list the tasks they would have to complete as Charlotte zoned out once more. She only barely felt Yami's fingers slip between hers as he squeezed her hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas and the last day before the wedding. Preparations are finalized and a big Christmas feast and gift exchange is held. Charlotte's family continues to be bigotted jerks, and her mother continues her subtle push for grandchildren.

Charlotte looked longingly at her plush comfy bed as she rose to answer the insistent knocking on her door. Yami lay sprawled across the entire surface of the mattress. She frowned as she tightened the robe around her nightgown and padded her way in soft slippers across the cold wood floor.

"Yes?" She pulled the door open only to see her cousin seeming to vibrate with excitement on the other side.

"You're not ready?" Elizabeth asked when she took in Charlotte's state of undress.

"What?"

"We have to get your dress fitted. And there's so much other stuff to do."

"Lizzie, it's Christmas, isn't it? Give these people a break."

"But the wedding is tomorrow, Lottie. Come on, let's get you dressed." Elizabeth tried to push her way through the door. But Charlotte, panicking and worried her story might come undone if Elizabeth were to step foot in the room, barred the door. 

"It's alright, Lizzie. I'll get dressed and will be right there. Just... a few moments, alright?"

"Won't you need help with your lacing?" Elizabeth tried to push her way through once more. Of course, Elizabeth would be worried more about the fashionable form of dress than the fact that there was a near-naked man in the bed, Charlotte thought.

"Uh, no. It'll be fine." Charlotte dropped her voice to a low whisper. "Besides, Yami isn't exactly decent." 

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she stepped away. Charlotte knew she had taken the bait, though why she had cast that particular lie, Charlotte could not guess.

"Well, I knew that. Whatever could he have done that interested you in the first place, I just won't understand."

"Thanks, Lizzie." Charlotte ignored the comment as she pushed the door shut. She sighed and stood at the door for a long moment. Crossing the room, Charlotte found her standard uniform and tossed it on. She had no time for fashion usually, so the look never bothered her. She did leave her squad robe off, however. Today she was just Charlotte.   
Elizabeth, however, frowned when she saw Charlotte's attire. 

"You really have zero sense of what is fashionable these days, don't you?" 

Charlotte looked down at her near battle-ready outfit.

"It's not like I can go into combat in a long dress and rigid stays." 

"Please tell me you have some decent undergarments. Something at least a little modern." 

"I'm usually wearing armor. It's kind of difficult wearing a corset underneath a breastplate."

"Ugh. Fine. We'll see if the milliner has something close to your size already available. It will at least be better than nothing. And then we'll get your dress fitted. Oh, Lottie, it's going to be so pretty on you!"

***

The rest of the day was like a waking nightmare. As the dressmaker pinned and draped and used her magic to stitch the fabric together into something that resembled a gown, Charlotte wished she were back at her squad headquarters sipping tea and worried about supply requisitions. 

Hell, she even wished she was back at her parent's home yell at Yami for breaking the rules... again. She noticed the blush on her cheeks as she was turned to look into the mirror. 

The cut of the dress suited her well if Charlotte were honest. Not that she had much experience determining if something was flattering or not. Still, she felt pretty in the dress design, even if she did not think the lilac color suited her at all. Elizabeth, on the other hand, squealed with delight. 

Charlotte wished it were blue as she swished the heavy skirt in the mirror. Yami's voice suggesting she try a different color sometimes came back to her. Charlotte sighed as she continued to look at herself in the mirror. Maybe the lilac wasn't so bad.

"Yes, I will deliver it tonight. The adjustments needed were not too difficult and the accents are much more muted than on the other girls' dresses." The dressmaker told Elizabeth as she came to assist Charlotte in removing the gown without taking apart all of her hard work. 

"Thank you so much. I know it's Christmas and all, but I do ever so appreciate it."

The older woman smiled, but Charlotte felt there was a tension in her expression Elizabeth had not caught. 

As they stepped out into the street, Elizabeth turned to Charlotte.

"See? I told you it wouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah? Well if you appreciate her effort so much, why don't you pay her extra for working on a holiday? I'm sure she has a family she would rather spend the day with."  
Elizabeth waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, Lottie. I'm paying her plenty. Besides, she'll have the gown done this evening, and then she will still have plenty of time to celebrate. I mean, this is my wedding we're talking about."

Charlotte shook her head as she watched Elizabeth turn and practically skip down the road. How had Elizabeth turned out to be so self-centered? 

Charlotte sighed and followed her cousin, pulling a cloak around her shoulders to ward against the chill in the air.

"Say, Lottie? You think it's going to snow tonight?"

"I don't know. I'm not a weather mage." All Charlotte wanted to do at the moment was to get home and have a nice warm cup of tea. 

"I hope so. I mean, imagine it! Beautiful crisp freshly fallen snow. Me in my white gown with my bouquet of violet flowers. James in his suit, black against the white background. It will be so pretty. I'm so excited."

Charlotte dared not spoil her fantasy with how dirty the snow would look once everyone and everything started moving through it, churning it up instead of the sheet of white she imagined.

"What if it doesn't snow?"

"Well, I'm still getting married, silly. And I think James knows a guy who could help." Elizabeth giggled in a way that brought back memories from when they were kids playing with dolls together.

"Please don't do what I think you are talking about doing."

"Don't worry, Lottie. It will be perfectly fine."

Charlotte sighed.

"So... tell me about James." 

Elizabeth squealed in delight once more and launched into how they met and how perfect of a guy her betrothed was.

"...And that's when I just knew we would be perfect for each other." Elizabeth wrapped up her lengthy, drawn-out tale of courtship. Charlotte, having tuned out the story, forced a smile when Elizabeth looked at her expectantly. 

"Sounds like a dream," Charlotte said, hoping she didn't sound too bored. 

"So?" Elizabeth prodded. 

"So what?"

"Oh come on, Lottie. I told you my romantic tale, now it's time for yours." Elizabeth took Charlotte's arm and pulled her toward a small food stall which was still open. Charlotte looked at her in confusion. 

"You can tell me over lunch."

"Tell you what?"

"You know, how you met Yami. I mean, of all people, what could he have done to win your heart that any one of the local noble-born lads couldn't? I'm dying to know."

"Shouldn't we get back to the manor? I'm sure these people would love to get home to their families." Charlotte felt nervousness creeping into her voice. She had not thought of a yarn to spin about how they had met and fallen for each other. For all she knew, Yami was weaving a tale of his own to the same question. And what if their stories didn't match up? Then everyone would know her as a liar.

"Just a quick bite. We can even take it with us. Come on, Lottie."

Charlotte sighed and let Elizabeth order food for them both. Charlotte hoped the food itself would be a distraction from the story Elizabeth asked for. But after they continued on their way for a bit longer, Elizabeth prodded once more.

"There isn't much to tell, Lizzie. We work together. Sometimes we fight together – sometimes against each other when there's some sort of contest. I guess we just sort of... clicked together. Sorry, it's not as exciting as how you and James met."

"A workplace romance? Isn't that a little... taboo? Scandalous at least?"

"We are in different squads. And we are both Captains, so it shouldn't be an issue. I mean if he were my subordinate, well, yes that would be a problem, I guess."

"And how did a foreigner like him ever become a Magic Knight in the first place, much less a Squad Captain?"

Charlotte opened her mouth to continue her tale but then closed it again, realizing she herself did not have the whole story. 

"I guess that's a question you will have to ask him."

"But seriously, that's it? You two just work together? There's nothing else?"

"Not that I can think of. Were you expecting more?"

"Well, I guess. I mean, how does a high born woman like yourself stoop so low as to end up with a lowly, foreign peasant? Especially one who is so... unattractive."

Charlotte stopped and stared, mouth agape, at Elizabeth's back as she continued walking. 

"It's just... he's so muscular and broad. He looks more suited to working the fields than serving as a noble Magic Knight." She continued as she turned to look at the shocked Charlotte.

"He is one of the finest Magic Knights I have ever met." Charlotte recovered herself enough to respond, but her voice was tense with anger. "He may be dense and sarcastic, and infuriating at times, but he is also honorable, loyal, and determined. He's one of the very few men I can trust to back up his words with his actions, and he is not unattractive in the least."

"If you say so. He just looks so... common is all."

"Common is definitely not a good descriptor for him. And another thing..." Charlotte froze as a sudden realization struck her. "I forgot to get him a Christmas gift."

"What? Some girlfriend you are." Elizabeth laughed. "How could you forget something like that?"

"That's not important. What is important right now is that I find something for him before we get back to the manor." Charlotte's breathing grew shallow as panic set in. What on earth would she get him? She had no idea what he might want or even like. And she would not be able to pass off the idea that they just didn't do the gift-giving thing to her family. The thought would be sacrilegious.

Charlotte took a deep breath and walked into a shop that was still open. She wrinkled her nose at the options available and settled on a belt. It was practical but still nice. It wouldn't serve to lead her family on about the extent of their relationship, but it would also be sufficient as a gift in their eyes. Likewise, Yami wouldn't read too much into such a practical gift.

"Is that it?" Elizabeth asked with suspicion. "It seems a little... plain, I guess."

"No, it's perfect. We, uh, we typically don't exchange gifts. And he much prefers things he can use over frivolous items." Charlotte explained as if they had been together for years and had had the discussion previously. Charlotte bit her lip, hoping Yami would come to the same conclusion. She certainly wasn't expecting him to give her a present.

Once the shopkeeper had packaged up the belt, Charlotte and Elizabeth continued on their way back to the manor.

***

They ran into Yami as he was stepping out of the manor house. Charlotte clutched the gift to her chest as their eyes met. 

"Where are you off to?" Charlotte asked, hoping her voice seemed as nonchalant as she wanted it to. 

"Just going for a walk. I figured you two would be gone most of the day, so I thought I'd take in the sights of the town. If I remember, there was a pretty good soup stand last time I was here." His dark cloak fluttered in the chill wind, reminding Charlotte of the day he had stopped her magic from going out of control. 

"Well, everything is starting to close up for Christmas," Elizabeth explained, trying to be friendly, at least it would seem so to most people, but the self-satisfied tone in her voice made Charlotte cringe. "So you better hurry." 

Charlotte did not miss the raised eyebrow on Yami's face as he pulled the cloak more tightly around him before he nodded at Charlotte and hurried down the steps.

Charlotte watched him go before following Elizabeth inside.

"Well, now that we've gotten your gown sorted, I guess we should get ready for tonight's party."

***

Charlotte struggled to find something to wear to the dinner party. None of the dresses she had left fit her properly – aside from the one she had worn the night before – and her mother's dresses were all too short on her. She stood at the nearly empty wardrobe dressed in a chemise and stays, but little else, considering her options. She had wanted to avoid bringing in extra clothes – especially the dresses she had recently acquired, but now she wished she had at least told someone in her squad that she needed some help preparing for the events of the trip. She pulled out a deep green gown that had reached the floor on her mother when she was a child. She held it up to her and turned to look at her reflection in the full-length mirror.

She had not heard the door open and jumped when she saw Yami in the mirror. 

"Don't you know how to knock?" She looked at him with narrow eyes.

"I did knock." Yami crossed the room to the bed, where the old gowns lay in a pile. He pushed them to the end of the bed and then sat down. He pulled off his boots before laying down and closing his eyes. 

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to get dressed." She hinted.

"Don't let me stop you, Prickly Queen." He waved a hand dismissively in her direction.

Charlotte stared at him a moment, ready to argue and insist he leave when she heard a soft snore coming from the bed. She walked quietly across the room. She looked at him sleeping, one arm crossed over his eyes to block out the rays of the setting sun piercing through the window. She brushed her fingers lightly through his soft hair, wondering if he would wake up if she kissed him. 

She pulled her hand back suddenly as if the thought had burned her. She walked back to the dressing area and lit the lamps before drawing the drapes around the window and plunging the bed into darkness. Dinner wasn't for another hour. She could let him sleep while she figured out this dress situation.

She put on the green gown she was examining before Yami came in. Perhaps if the hip padding were left out, it might be acceptable. The bodice was a little tight – but then her mother was also smaller in the bust than she – but it did seem to fit passably. 

Satisfied, Charlotte sat near a vanity to finish her hair. 

Once she was finished, Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror. The rouged cheeks and lips felt strange to her, but she knew Elizabeth would expect as much for the wedding. She tried to keep everything as subdued as possible, however, not wanting to draw extra attention to herself. While the party was only for guests staying in the manor this year, Elizabeth had told her of all the available young men James had enlisted as groomsmen who would be in attendance. She had no intention of catching the eye of any of them.

The light which had once slipped past the edges of the drapes had not faded into darkness. Charlotte approached the bed and sorted the mess of discarded gowns, placing them neatly back into the wardrobe as Yami slept. He was still in his cloak and had pulled it around himself like a blanket. 

Charlotte knew she needed to wake him, but she had never seen him so relaxed and peaceful. True, nothing ever seemed to bother him, at least until the moment it did, but this was different, like any care he had simply melted away. She brushed her fingertips across the hair at his temple. His face tracked with the motion as if he were trying to lean into her touch. 

Charlotte sighed as the urge to kiss him sprang up once more.

"Yami," she whispered instead. "Yami, it's time to wake up. Dinner will start soon."

He groaned but slowly opened his eyes and sat up.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm awake." He rubbed at his eyes. "Sorry. Just... dealing with your father is exhausting."

"Did the two of you get into another argument about how people should be treated?" She sat on the edge of the bed, her silk skirts rustling with the movement.

"I wouldn't call it an argument... more like me trying really hard not to punch something – namely that idiot your cousin is marrying." Yami yawned.

Charlotte chuckled. She had not had the opportunity to talk much with James personally, but from overhearing the conversation from the drawing-room the night before, she could tell she would not much appreciate his political stance on a great many things.

"None of these people likely know what it means to serve. None of them have put their lives on the line to protect our kingdom. They only reap the benefits without understanding the costs."

"And that's why you're so much more than them, Charlotte."

Charlotte blushed and stood, though, with the dim light and her rouged cheeks, she was certain he had not been able to see her embarrassment at the compliment.

"Well, I should let you get dressed. You might want to wear a jacket if you have one."

Yami groaned. 

"I've got one. Was hoping to put off wearing it until the wedding."

"My parents are sort of sticklers about formality on Christmas," Charlotte explained. "I'll just be outside."

She closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall of the brightly lit hallway. She sighed deeply before taking a few calming breaths. Her heart raced and she tried to get it back under control. She had wanted him before – all part of the reason she hadn't wanted to bring him with her – but she had never expected a compliment like that, had never thought he would contrast her so clearly with the family from which she had come, or to do so with such admiration in his voice and eyes. She had always respected him as a fellow magic knight, and a fellow captain. She never once thought he might feel the same respect for her. 

But now her mind whirred with possibilities. If he held her in such high regard, could he possibly feel something more than just respect? 

No that had to be her imagination.

She was only waiting a few minutes, alone with her thoughts, before he stepped out the door. Charlotte gasped when she saw him, dressed up in a proper coat and shirt beneath. His hair still stuck out in an unruly way, and he had forgone any sort of neck adornment, instead choosing to wear the collar of his shirt open. But he had cleaned up well enough to almost pass for a noble, albeit one with a rough edge. Charlotte wet her lips in an automatic movement when he gave her a sideways glance and a smirking half-grin.

"Shall we?" He held out his arm for her to take. 

Charlotte nodded and wrapped her gloved hand over his coat sleeve. She had seen him half-naked before and had always appreciated the view, but nothing had prepared her for how he looked in a suit. Somehow, touching him now, through the glove and the coat thrilled her more than any other time they had touched before – intentional or otherwise. Did he know how much he affected her right now?

The party was in full swing by the time they arrived. The entire bridal party was chatting and drinking wine, while the parents of the bride and groom were having a little celebration of their own. Music filled the air, competing with loud discussions and laughter. Charlotte stood watching the scene and gripped onto Yami's arm. Nothing about the party seemed enjoyable. 

"Come on, let's get something to drink." Yami encouraged her, placing his free hand over the one she rested on his arm. 

"Right." Charlotte took a deep breath and they began their descent down the stairs. Charlotte's mother met them at the landing, having spotted them from across the room. 

"Oh, look at you two. Such a fine couple. I swear you would make the most adorable children." 

"Mother!" Charlotte blushed, though she reluctantly admitted to herself she wouldn't mind practicing the making of said children.

"Oh, and you look so lovely in that dress, Charlotte! I've always said you should wear more jewel tones. I'm amazed that it fits so well."

"It fits perfectly." Yami agreed, his gaze falling on her decolletage. Charlotte would have blushed more if she could. As it was, her skin was a nice complimentary pink to go with the green of the dress.

"Thank you, Mother."

"Oh, and look at where the two of you stopped." Amelia grinned as she pointed up at the arch of greenery covering the landing. A large ball of mistletoe hung from the center.

"You stopped us here on purpose." Charlotte accused as Amelia's grin widened. 

"Oh, come on Charlotte. Enjoy the magic of the season a bit. And let an old women have her fun."

Charlotte glanced over at Yami who looked thoughtfully up at the ball of mistletoe above them. Charlotte sputtered.

"It's just a silly tradition. It doesn't even mean anything, Mother." 

Yami moved quickly, in a blur Charlotte barely saw. All she knew was the sudden pressure of his lips against hers. The loudness of the room seemed to grow quiet and then to disappear altogether. Her eyelids slid shut, forcing her to rely on the feel and scent of him so near her. All she knew was him – his warmth, the strength of his arms around her, his broad, taut chest beneath her hands, the feel of his lips against hers.

She did not want it to stop. 

At the moment, he was everything and his kiss gave her life.

Even if it did break the rules. 

She gasped as he pulled away from her far sooner than she wanted. But then she never wanted him to stop kissing her. The look in his eyes was as unreadable as ever, but he wouldn't look away from her.

And she, for the first time, didn't want to run.

"Oh my, wasn't that something." Amelia's voice broke the spell. "Now, off you two go. Mingle with the other young people. We'll have dinner and gifts shortly." 

Charlotte nodded, but she could not bring herself to look away from him.

Eventually, he turned from her and focused his attention on the crowd of people. 

"I need a drink." He said, breathlessly as he started down the stairs

"I could use one, too." 

He glanced at her. His brow was furrowed in concern or shock. She was surprised at herself. Drinking was not something she did often. She did not have the constitution for it. But right now her mind was in such a confused state that she already couldn't think straight. Surely, a glass of wine wouldn't hurt. Who knows, it might help her straighten some things out.

By the time dinner was called, Charlotte had finished her first glass of wine and had started on a second.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Yami whispered to her as she stood, glass in hand, to follow the crowd into the dining room. Yami swirled his third glass of bourbon in his hand as he steadied her with the other. 

"I'm a grown woman, Yami. I can drink if I want to."

"No one is saying you can't, Charlotte." But the look on his face was one of concern. Still, Charlotte took a sip of her glass out of spite, staring him straight in the eye as she did so.

"I'm only looking out for you." His voice was still quiet and soft in her ear, as his strong arm held her against him. She tilted her head upward, lips parted, hoping he would kiss her like before. He looked at her a moment before he moved to the side and guided her to the dining room.

Throughout dinner, Charlotte could think of nothing but Yami sitting next to her, of his lips on hers, and how she wanted them there once more. The wine warmed her body and spoke to her, whispering her desires until they sat right on the surface of her mind. She touched his hand, his shoulder, his thigh as a means of accenting the conversation. 

And yet, he barely reacted to her. 

When a bottle of wine came her way once more, Charlotte refilled her cup. She hoped now, given his apparent lack of interest, that the voices of the deep red liquid would grow quiet, or at least speak to her of something other than his touch.

Dinner was over in a blur and soon her father commanded everyone to withdraw to the ballroom, where the grand Christmas tree stood, and which would be the site of the next day's nuptial feast. 

Tonight, though, they gathered around the tree in cushioned chairs as one of the servants doled out the gifts which had been piled there. Yami took the seat next to her, as he had since the moment they arrived – as he had for so many other times as well, Charlotte realized. He was always there, by her side. 

He sighed as gift after gift swirled around her feet or gathered at the others around him. He took a glass of champagne from the servant who carried them out. Charlotte took one too, a move which seemed to surprise him. Charlotte giggled and swayed in her seat as the servant placed a small box at Yami's feet. He looked at the box and then over to her. Charlotte giggled again.

"You didn't have to." He whispered to her.

"No, but I wanted to." She tried to whisper back, only it resounded through the room. Upon hearing her voice echoing, Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand and tried to stifle a giggle. Yami smiled at her for the first time since dinner. He reached over the arm of the chair and took her hand as she polished off the glass of champagne in her other hand. 

The servants kept distributing gifts, mostly to the bride and groom to be, and drink to everyone else. Charlotte was on her second glass as Yami took his fourth when Marcus called for the gift opening to begin. Yami reached down to pick up the single package at his feet, but also leaned over to Charlotte's small pile of gifts, nearly slipping out of his chair as he picked up an equally small package and placed it on her lap.

"Oh, Yami." Charlotte giggled sweetly as she took the box from him, her voice obviously slurred. "You didn't have to." 

Yami shrugged.

"I know. Wanted to though." He downed the champagne as if it were a shot before he opened the box on his lap. Inside sat a dark brown leather belt with a thick silver buckle tooled with intricate floral detail. 

"Yours is getting kinda worn," Charlotte explained with a smile that tried to be seductive. 

"Yeah, this is beautiful. Thanks, Prickly Queen." Yami chuckled, as he took another glass of champagne for each of them. "Your turn." He handed her the glass and took her half-finished one. He drank the last of her glass before he started in on his fresh one. She sipped her champagne as she watched him.

"Now, go on... open it."

Charlotte lifted the box lid and said "aw" as she saw the glittering of gold from within. 

"So pretty!" She carefully lifted out a small golden cone made in a delicate filigree and a handful of small golden sticks topped with a single rose bloom. A larger filigree cone lay in the box.

Yami reached over and pulled one of the sticks from her hand. He shoved it into the bun she wore at the back of her head. Charlotte winced as he dug the end of the stick into her head. 

"Sorry." He said, chuckling. Charlotte matched his laughter with her own before she took another sip of her champagne. Yami finished his champagne and then stood and wrapped the belt around his waist while Charlotte opened the remaining gifts from her family. Elizabeth had given her a necklace that matched the other bridesmaids' gifts. Her mother's package had several items befitting a lady of status, but which were less useful for a Grand Magic Knight – handkerchiefs, jewelry, a fan, and some fashionable hair ornaments. Her father had given her a book on magical philosophy. But all of them paled compared to the hair sticks Yami kept poking into her bun. As she sipped her champagne once more, Yami fiddled with her braid. She turned her head and watched as he stared intently at the end of it and tried to thread it into the small cone.

"What'cha doing?" she asked, giggling.

"Missing." His voice was serious as he tried threading the hair through the small cone once more. When he missed again, he snorted with laughter and laid his forehead against her shoulder.

"Ugh, I need a cigarette," Yami said, standing with a stumble. Charlotte held her hands out to keep him from falling and then stood herself. 

"Don't leave me alone with these people." Charlotte laughed as she clung to his arm to keep herself from falling as well. 


End file.
